Oliver Tomkins Infant and Nursery School: Nursery Review

A Hygge-inspired learning space and weekly Forest School give this nursery two distinct settings for play. Oliver Tomkins Church of England Infant and Nursery School takes children aged three and four in Toothill, Swindon. Qualified primary teachers lead the provision, bringing a teaching team into a day centred on exploration and play.

The nursery describes its indoor environment as intended to encourage calm, positive learning. Outside, a large early years garden provides another space for children to explore. The school’s Christian ethos includes an emphasis on aspiration, wellness and thriving: its stated aim is for children and families to feel valued and treated fairly.

Play is the starting point. Children learn through activities and discovery, with the Hygge-inspired surroundings providing the indoor setting and the early years garden extending their learning outdoors. Weekly Forest School sessions are led by a qualified practitioner, giving outdoor learning a regular place in the nursery week.

Termly questions give learning a focus. In summer 2026, the nursery’s question concerned which creatures children would encounter. Other nursery themes across the 2025–2026 year included bears, tales and class rhymes. These give families concrete starting points for conversations about what their child is exploring.

Reading also has a place in the wider school environment. The Reading Forest room contains story sacks, big books and stories for children to choose from. Monthly story gatherings after school bring parents and children together with refreshments. This is a shared school resource, adding a family activity alongside the nursery sessions.

In November 2023, Ofsted found that nursery children responded to clear behavioural expectations, listening to adults and taking turns. Staff reinforced those expectations indoors and outside, helping children understand the routines of group life.

Family support sits within the wider school team. Appointments with the Family Support Worker can be arranged through the office, or staff can make a referral. This provides a route for families needing additional help and support with communication between home and school.

The school also has teaching assistants trained to deliver ELSA, its emotional support intervention, through programmes tailored to individual children. A team with paediatric first aid training provides another practical layer of care. For food, the school operates its own kitchen; nursery sessions and school meal arrangements should be treated as separate practical decisions.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal Reception admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Choosing this nursery therefore needs to be a decision about the nursery experience itself, rather than an assumption that a school place follows automatically.

Fifteen-hour places run across Monday to Friday, with a choice of morning or afternoon sessions. Thirty-hour places also run Monday to Friday and are term-time only. Afternoon sessions start at noon and finish at 3pm.

The school office handles enquiries on 01793 870471 or at admininf@olivertomkinsschools.co.uk. The nursery is based on Beaumaris Road, Toothill, Swindon, SN5 8LW.